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Friday, October 1, 2010

Wallander Returns: Series II

Wallander Returns to Masterpiece Mystery! October 3.Kenneth Branagh returns to his Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated role as the soul-searching Swedish cop created by bestselling novelist Henning Mankell in Wallander II, three gripping new Kurt Wallander cases based on the the Henning Mankell books.

In Faceless Killers (October 3), The Man Who Smiled (October 10) and The Fifth Woman (October 17), the down-at-the-heels sleuth is nearing the end of his emotional rope — at odds with his daughter, his father, his gyrating blood sugar and coming to terms with having killed a man. It's almost more than a self-doubting crime solver can stomach.

I watched Faceless Killers, and this first episode certainly sets the scene for a very strong Series II. I really liked the first season, but this season is even better. Fewer odd camera angles, more linear plotline. Great photography and acting, as in the first season. This first episode is not for the faint of heart. The first scene shows the brutal murder of an elderly couple in their rural farmhouse.

Swedish Inspector (Kenneth Branagh) arrives at the horrific scene and holds the old woman as she dies, shouting to her one final, urgent question — "Who did this?" She sounds out something that could be "farmer" or maybe "foreigner." The press takes hold of the foreigner angle, inciting swift and deadly retribution against local migrant workers.

But there is more to the case, and Wallander's inquiry takes him deep into his own damaged psyche, forcing him to examine and question his own motives before he can understand those of a killer. Faceless Killers is based on the novel by Henning Mankell. (One episode; 90 minutes) Sunday night, October 3. Check local PBS station listing.

This episode will be available to watch online October 4-November 15 HERE.

I like both the Branaugh versions and the Swedish ones. The Branaugh version really capture the tone and feelings of the books, beyond bleak. The Swedish stories long ago left the novels and are "based on the characters". They are very well done and I hope KCCM shows the second season of those too.